Training

[achingknees]

Oooh, these posts sadden me. Littlegem, Jackie and others, hang on in there. The unit I work for do take on recent graduates, balanced with those with more experience. Much of it is luck and timing. If the unit is busy you might get a good run. Make the most of it - pick up skills, ask, watch, listen. Even if they run a last-in-first-out policy you will be remembered, and possibly offered work again. Or you will have a good reference to climb the next rung.

If you can volunteer, offer to do so. I am not saying this is necessary, but sometimes it just helps. Picking up transferable skills (Littlegem) is not such a bad thing either. Make enquiries about possible training positions - even if they are not formal policy you may jog some sympathy. Make email/phone enquiries, even if just to ask about whether there are future opportunities and if they would accept a CV by email.

Good luck.

[Mole]

achingknees is quite right about timing. As a very general rule the back end of autum/ winter is often a quite spell for a lot of units with only WB's or small scale evals going on which is barely enough to keep already employed staff going(or not as the case may be). Often things pick up a bit in the spring. You may have already tried this but sending out C.V's to any units etc that you can find sometimes helps - it may land on a desk at the right time.

Anyway, don't give up yet most of us have been through this at one time or another and best of luck - it is possible.

[Oxbeast]

And keep your ear to the ground. Badger all the people you know who are now working in archaeology, obviously the most senior the better. Don't just ask about jobs in their company, but often folk will intimately know the business of several units in the area. Often people chat in the pub, about how such and such a unit has won a tender, and has loads of work at such a date. There are strong regional arrangements like this, though it can be hard to find out when work is actually coming up if you don't have someone on the inside. This is how I got the job I'm in now, which is more or less keeping me in food, booze and loan repayments.

Good luck to us all.

[drpeterwardle]

How about looking at the jobs page in BAJR?

There are several ads for diggers at the moment.

Peter